In Bloom
by Himura21
Summary: A series of super peaceful one shots about how things are after they leave to live their own lives. Canon stories, canon pairings. Chapter 1 Sano-Megumi: The rooster decided to visit  the kitsune for no reason at all...


Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki… and whoever he wants to share it with.

XX

**In Bloom**

Chapter 1: Stopover (Megumi-Sano)

XX

Megumi inhaled as she looked at the sun setting outside. Her patients had all been treated and her assistants had gone home, and the chilly autumn night had always made people too lazy to do anything. However, she had to clean the yard and tidied up her office now, or else she wouldn't have time to do so, since her daytime was always occupied with patients. It had been six years since she reopened her family's clinic. It was a little hard to gain the trust of the people in her first year, but now everyone knew her as the "survivor" of the Takani family.

She sighed as she took a broom. The autumn breeze made her sleepy and the scent of the leaves relaxed her, but she continued sweeping anyway. She had to finish everything before the night got too cold. Five minutes into an agonisingly slow sweeping, she heard a little rustle behind her. She turned around and was greeted by a smirking face.

"Y' know, I asked around about you and they kept on pointing to this big house that looks like a haunted house. I didn't know that you're really staying here."

Megumi looked at the guy and shook her head. "Sano. I didn't know that you're in town."

Sano grinned at her flat reaction. "I'll only be in town for two days before departing to Singapore. You're not gonna finish sweepin' those leaves if you're sweepin' them like that."

Megumi looked at his, but ignored his remarks about her sweeping methods. "Singapore?"

Sano nodded, his feet carelessly kicking the leaf mound Megumi made. "I haven't been to the South Eastern region. I heard it's quite cozy down there, and there's no winter. I seriously regretted staying in Mongolia during winter time. Almost frozen to death up there."

Megumi frowned. "Shouldn't you be in Tokyo instead then?"

"Well, I'm taking a boat from the Aizu port… Aizu has a port, right?" He asked light heartedly. Megumi shook her head in amazement. How could this dumb person survive? Or maybe he survived because he was too dumb. Who knows? "So, Kitsune, d'ya have some food?" He asked shamelessly.

Megumi sighed. He gave the broom to Sano. "Sweep the yard. I'll feed you if you did a good job." She said before disappearing into the house.

**XXXXX**

A warm bath and a complete meal, with vegetables, fish, miso soup and unlimited amount of rice was a luxury for Sano, who was now wearing Megumi's father's yukata and sipping his warm sake in bliss. It was the first time he felt his fatigue, like an old man who worked his ass off and came home at the end of the day. Although, his life wasn't stressful at all, unlike those working men. He was enjoying life and he couldn't wait to step his foot to a new land.

Though, he would miss this. Japanese food and bath made by a certain kitsune onna.

"Sano, come here." He heard Megumi called. Sano put down his sake cup and followed her to a room. It was her room. He blinked, but then smirked.

"Momma wants some lovin' tonight?" He asked, and Megumi looked at him grimly.

"Say that again and the only _lovin'_ for you tonight would be from the freezing wind and the annoying mosquitoes outside." She said threateningly. Sano chuckled.

"Geez, you're so cranky, Kitsune. What's up?" Megumi took a dark blue silk pouch from her small vanity table, and then sat down.

"Come." She said, patting her lap.

Sano looked at her, a little confused. She wanted him… to sit on her lap? "Aren't I too heavy to sit on your lap?" He asked.

"Baka. Seriously. How stupid can you be?" Megumi sighed frustratedly. "Here, lie down." She ordered. Sano put his head on her lap.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Close your eyes." She replied briefly.

"I don't trust you." He insisted.

"SHUT UP AND CLOSE YOUR EYES!"

"Ye… Yes ma'am…" Sano stuttered and closed his eyes. He didn't know what she was planning to do, until he felt a cool water splashed gently on his face, and a cold metal grazed his cheek…

"WHAT THE FUCK, WOMAN!" Sano shrieked and jumped. Megumi quickly and instinctively pulled her blade-holding hand back. "YOU'RE TRYING TO SHAVE MY BEARD!"

"It can't be helped! I was disgusted when watching your beard ate all the rice and all the vegetables… LIE DOWN SO I CAN FINISH THIS!" Megumi screamed.

"HELL NO!"

"Fine, if you want to look ridiculous with a bald patch on your face, then be my guest." She said. Sano took a mirror from Megumi's table, and then looked at his reflection. There was a big, very visible, square shaped shaved area on his face. He groaned.

"Damn it. Now all the Singaporean chicks would laugh at me." He murmured.

"Lie down." Megumi said briefly, and Sano obediently put his head back on her laps. She continued shaving him while ignoring his annoyed expression. After awhile, though, he didn't care anymore. He was playing with her loose hair that fell down on her shoulder. She let him do whatever he wanted, as long as he was calm. It was just like taking care of her kid patients.

"Hey, so… Didya find anyone?" He asked, moving his mouth slowly so that she didn't slip and cut him.

"Hmmm, who?"

"Your family, I mean."

"No. Not yet."

"Not _yet_?" In Sano's experience, when people were lost for a long time, they rarely came back. Or if they did, they would come back as an entirely different person.

Megumi smiled. "Not yet." She said before landing a slap on his forehead. "Done. Get up. Sit in front of me." She said. Sano sighed and sat up, with his back facing her. He didn't complain anymore, only grunted a little when she took off his red headband.

"I heard Jou-chan and Kenshin has a kid now?" He asked.

"Yes. His name is Kenji. A cute little boy. Very smart cheerful just like the parents." Megumi said.

"I see. Sorry that you don't end up with Kenshin." Sano said with a small chuckle. Megumi snorted and hit his head.

"Shut up. I'm happy to see them happy. It's not like Ken-san broke my heart or something."

"No? Good then." Sano replied.

Megumi didn't change that much. She was calm, elegant, and very level headed, just like before, although she looked a little different. She smiled more, and not one of those bitter smiles she used to show. It was a truly peaceful smile. Maybe it was because she lived in her old house, where her beautiful memories were?

"Done." Megumi said, putting the blades back inside the silk pouch. Sano sighed and went back to lie down on Megumi's laps, much to her surprise. Megumi flicked Sano's forehead with her fingers and took the mirror from the floor. "Now you look… Well… As decent as you can be." She said, showing him his own reflection. Sano looked at his reflection.

"It's okay… I'm still handsome no matter what anyone have done to my hair." He said. His spiky hair was so short now, even shorter than before. It was like the hair he had when he was ten.

"Stop sulking then." Megumi said, before muttering something like _ungrateful brat_ under her breath. Sano chuckled and put his hands on his stomach, enjoying his human-pillow. Megumi grabbed his right hand and examined it. "It looks good… surprisingly." She said.

"Oh yeah, this guy in Mongolia did some voodoo thing to my hand. It's half-okay now." He said, opening and closing it. Megumi took his hand again and unfold the bandage. She then stood up without warning, making Sano bumped his head on the tatami-covered floor. "Oi! Careful!" He shouted. Megumi ignored him, and went out. A minute later, she came back with a medical box. She started treating Sano's hands as he used his other hand for a pillow and started humming some inaudible songs.

Suddenly, they heard a loud banging sound from the gate. Megumi was startled, and Sano got up, alarmed by the noise.

"Stay inside." He said, and before Megumi could say anything, Sano ran outside of the room. She sighed, took a hair tie from her drawer, and then tied her hair. Someone banging on the door in the middle of the night like this… It should be an emergency.

She was right. Sano was carrying a half-conscious guy and behind him there were three women crying. One was really old, one looked like her age, and the other one was a little girl. Blood was dripping from the guy's shoulder, and there was a thin but long hard of wood piercing through his shoulder. Megumi took out her apron.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Take him to my office. It's on the right side." She said, pointing. Sano ran to Megumi's examination room and put the guy on the bed. He knew the drill already, so he ran to the kitchen and boiled some water. Megumi was a bit surprised by his initiative. Apparently he had learned other things during his trip. She examined the patient, and since he could still response, she gave him some powder sedative.

The operation went smoothly, and the guy was sleeping. Apparently that guy was fixing the roof when he accidentally fell and hit the wooden fence in front of their house. The wooden fences were a little old and fragile, and the pieces went into his wound. Megumi had taken every little piece out, much to Sano's amazement.

"Sensei, you have saved my husband's life! Thank you!" Said the woman, still crying from a shock.

"Don't worry about it. You, your daughter and your mother in-law can leave and rest. I will stay and take care of him." Megumi said. The older woman frowned at her.

"No! No! Please! My daughter in-law will take care of her! Your husband has finally come home, so you shouldn't waste your time by taking care of my stupid son!" She said. Megumi blinked.

"Husband?" Megumi asked. The two women in front of her pointed towards a corner. She turned around and saw Sano yawning while scratching his armpit. She shivered as she felt something odd creeping down her spine. The two women, however, didn't see her awkward face, and took her hand.

"It's alright, Sensei! Don't waste your time! Go to bed with your husband right now!" they said, forcefully dragged Megumi towards Sano, and then grabbed Sano's hand.

"Oro?" Sano blurted out confusedly, imitating his best friend.

"Come on, husband! Don't make your wife wait for you!"

"What for- Whoa! What the hell?"

They both were dragged back into Megumi's room and then the two, surprisingly strong, ladies pushed them inside.

"Don't come out before dawn!" the older woman shouted.

"Have fun!" The daughter-in-law followed.

Megumi and Sano looked at each other.

"What the heck did you tell them?" She asked with a grim face.

"Don't blame me, okay! The ladies thought that I was a burglar and they were about to abandon the dying man and knock the air outta me, so I said that I was your family! I said FAMILY! Not HUSBAND! It's not my fault that people thought I was your husband."

"DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO WOULD MARRY A ROOSTER?" Megumi shrieked.

"Well, I'm not the one who's a kitsune, 28 years old, and not married. Be grateful that people think you have a husband." He said with a chuckle.

Megumi sighed. "Whatever," she said. She glared at Sano. "I am going to change. Turn around and don't peek." She said. Sano grunted and turned around, muttering something about not interested in seeing a kitsune changing clothes.

She changed into her sleeping yukata, and then took out the futon from the storage space on her wall, when she saw Sano's hands helping her. Without saying anything else, he took out another set of futon. Megumi frowned.

"Who said that you're sleeping here?"

"No one. I'm just too tired to move anywhere else. If you mind, then you go somewhere else." He said with an annoying grin. Megumi sighed. She was too tired to argue with the thick headed rooster anyway. Moreover, he was someone she could always trust. She stood still and let Sano prepared the futon for them. Their futon wasn't exactly put together, but it wasn't exactly separated either. Sano put a one centimetre of space between them. A really sad centimetre.

The situation suddenly became a little awkward. Sano was sitting on his bed, picking his ear, and Megumi was unconsciously sitting in seiza. Sano tittered and looked at her.

"You look like you're ready for a wedding night." He said with a snicker. Megumi blushed, and moved her body to the side so that she sat in the more informal way.

"Shut up." She said, trying to hide her blush, but the candle lit was bright enough for Sano to see. She inhaled, trying to look less embarrassed. "Let me finish treating your hand." She said, grabbing the medical box that was lying around in her room earlier. She moved to Sano's futon and started tending his wound, ignoring his rather odd gaze.

"Don't worry. Y' know Kitsune, you're pretty for a woman your age." He said, and Megumi pinched him.

"Woman my age? I am now the same age as Ken-san when we first met him." She said.

Sano cackled. "Yeah, but women expires easily."

"Shut up, you sexist brat." She said, intentionally pressed the wound harder than needed, making Sano winced a little.

"So… Didya find anyone?" He asked.

"You have asked that question to me earlier tonight." She replied.

"No no. Different meaning. I mean, didya find anyone… like Kenshin found Kaoru…?" He asked, this time more carefully.

"How could I, if everyone thought that I'm married to a rooster." She replied sharply, but Sano could feel a humorous tint layered in her tone.

"Are you planning to get married? Like… I dunno… attending one of those omiai?"

"No. I don't think so. I think I would have to stop working if I got married. I'd rather be single like this." She said.

"Modern woman, huh… There are more and more nowadays, all over the world." Sano said with a chuckle. Megumi tied his bandage and then looked up with a smile.

"Modern woman. I guess I'm one of them." She said with a confident smile.

"That's great." He said, before cupping her chin and leaned forward.

Megumi sighed and closed her eyes, accepting his light kiss. She touched Sano's arm, and that lead him to deepening the kiss. He grabbed her hips and seated her on his laps, and she wrapped herself around him as he carelessly licked her lips, before exploring her mouth with his tongue. They were kissing for a long time, savouring each other's warmth, before finally broken the kiss, with Sano grinning at her.

"I like that, modern woman." He whispered, burying his head on her shoulder, inhaling the scent from her neck.

Megumi smiled. "Well of course. Now let's go to sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow." She said, tugging his hair playfully.

**XXXXX**

Megumi was already awake so early in the morning. She checked the patient from last night, who was still sleeping, with the wife also sleeping soundly beside him, and then went to make breakfast. Halfway into cooking, she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

"Make mine to-go." Sano said from behind her. She turned around and saw him, already with his worn-out kenpo clothes with "AKU" written on the back.

"When's your ship leaving?" She asked. Sano shrugged.

"Dunno. I don't even know where the port is. That's why I have to leave early... Is there even any ports around here?" He asked the same question again.

"I can't believe I let a stupid brat kiss me." She said. Sano snorted.

"Nonsense. You liked it." He retaliated. Megumi only sighed and checked her rice.

"I'll make you some onigiri. Now stop disturbing me. Go and make yourself useful… somehow…" She said. Sano grinned and saluted her like a sailor saluted his captain, and then left.

An hour later, his onigiri was packed. She packed some vegetables and fish for him to eat in a small wooden container with a lid. She secured it tightly so that he could carry it around, packed a pair of chopsticks and then placed all of them in a small pouch. She went to her room and found Sano, lying down on the tatami with his small bag as a pillow, obviously too lazy to do anything. At least he put away his futon.

"Thanks." He said with a grin, as she handed the pouch. "Smells good." He added.

"Don't worry about it."

They walked out of the room and he looked around for one last time, looking at the house where Megumi lived in. It was big and pretty luxurious albeit a little rundown. She had a good job here in Aizu, a beautiful house, and also a lot of friends who cared for her. She should be in peace now. Like Kenshin, she was no longer living just to redeem her sins. She lived for herself, and for the sake of others.

"Y'know, 28 years old is a good age. I think I will settle down when I'm that old." He muttered unknowingly. Megumi looked at him.

"Yes it is. So don't mock me for being 28." She said with a cunning smile. Sano looked at her, and then sighed.

"When I'm 28, you'll be 31." He said, shaking his head as if he regretted something.

"Shut up. If you want to come back, then come back. If you don't, then don't. I'll just assume that your stupidity has consumed you or something." Megumi said in a scolding tone.

"Sheesh. Fine. Fine. No one's gonna want this old lady anyway." He said carelessly, and for that he got a hit on the back of his head.

They both walked to the gate and Sano said his goodbye briefly and left. After she couldn't see him anymore, Megumi turned around and went inside. It was time to prepare for her day. She went and checked at last night's patient. The wife was already awake and Megumi packed some medication to avoid infection.

The wife hesitatingly accepted the medication, and then stutteringly spoke, "Actually, Takani-sensei… We don't have the money right now… So…"

Megumi chuckled. "Don't worry about money. You can pay me whenever you want, with whatever you want." She said. The wife blushed and mumbled a thank you.

"Sensei, I heard this morning, your husband left?" She asked.

"Ah, yes, that stupid guy had left." Megumi said with a chuckle.

The wife looked at her with a sad face. "What a short time… Only a day… I guess that's the consequences of having a sailor as a husband…" She said, and Megumi almost burst out laughing. Sano, a sailor? He was more fitting as a pirate. She looked at Megumi with a concerned face. "When will he coming back?" She asked.

Megumi thought for awhile. A smile bloomed on her lips. "In three years…" She said softly, while looking out of the window. She then looked at the woman in front of her and shrugged with an annoyed face. "…Maybe. Who knows what the idiot's up to this time!"


End file.
